Show Nuff: New York Fashion Week

The first of the Fashion Week(s) is drawing to a close, and as promised, I’ll review some of my favorite looks from the New York collections. A few things are patently obvious:

1. I definitely need to keep hitting the gym

2. I am in desperate* need** of some leather

*not at all

**cannot foresee any occasion in which it would be appropriate to wear

Just goes to show that no matter what you’re wearing, a fabulous furry/sparkly/animal print/looped yarn(?) topper adds instant interest. I don’t wear new real fur (though vintage and faux are fair game), but methinks I’ll have to pull out the gold sequined tee and see what happens…

Combining patterns and prints in earthy colors is a hallmark of the so-called luxe boho look (Lux-ho? Bo-lux? One sounds like a pole dancer, the other like an injectable muscle relaxer. Hmmm…Let’s just stick with luxe boho for now, mmkay?).

No, not that Casual Corner (My mother used to shop there in the ’80’s and she took forever shopping and trying things on. I promised I’d never do that when I grew up. Ha!). I’m referring to the idea of combining contemporary pieces with casual wear–a great way to get more mileage out of your closet. Pencil skirts with casual tees, shorts with cropped blazers (so Contempo Casuals circa 1994), poufy skirts with sweatshirts…sort of schoolgirl, sort of vampy, very cute!

…And everything in between. Gray has been my go-to “color” for years–and that probably won’t change any time soon–but I also adore the stark contrast of black and white. The Marchesa gown looks as if it’s enveloped in a swirl of smoke, which leads me to envision myself in an old black and white movie, perhaps in a jazz bar filledwith the sounds of a tinkling piano, and as my eyes casually scan the crowded room, the smoke clears to reveal a devastatingly handsome stranger in a jauntily tipped fedora staring back at m…

Um. Sorry about that, I’ll stop now.

Leather blazer, leather shorts, leather pants…leather everything made an appearance on the runway at some point. Tough but soft (the good stuff), slightly naughty yet versatile…I’m all for it!